Sheriff: GWU students among those charged in break-ins

Published: Friday, June 27, 2014 at 11:39 AM.

Updated: 5:16 p.m.

See video by clicking here of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office tracking down and apprehending a break-in suspect who ran on foot and hid in a cave.

Four people were taken into custody by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and Boiling Springs Police Department Friday in connection with at least three home break-ins in Cleveland County, according to Sheriff Alan Norman.

One suspect ran from a home—the second break-in on Friday—when he realized someone was inside. The homeowner’s dog bit the suspect, who then ran to hide in a small cave or washed-out hole in a creek bank nearby, Norman said.

A sheriff’s office K-9 discovered the suspect and bit him while he was in the hole. With the help of Cleveland County EMS and Cleveland County Emergency Management, the man was extricated from the hole and taken by a stretcher to an ambulance.

Norman said the man’s dog bites were not severe.

The first home break-in was on Cabaniss Farm Road and the homeowner, Kevin Moss, was at home, Norman said.

Moss heard someone ring his carport door bell, looked outside and saw a red car sitting with its hood up on the side of the street and two black men near the car, according to a sheriff’s office press release. He also saw a gold Toyota sitting at the top of his driveway.

“Moss then heard someone start kicking his door. He retreated to get something to protect himself with when the perpetrator started kicking the French doors on the rear of his residence,” the release read.

“He met the two individuals at the door with a firearm,” said Norman.

According to the sheriff’s office’s preliminary investigation, Norman said Moss did not shoot.

Moss saw a black man with dreadlocks wearing a backpack when he opened the door, and the man ran away, according to the release.

Moss was able to give police a description of the two vehicles he’d seen, the tag number of the red car, and a description of the suspects, including a female driving the gold Toyota.

Norman said sheriff’s office deputies detained two people in the red car and took them into custody a few miles from the original break-in.

“During the process of detaining and taking into custody the third suspect, Boiling Springs Police was also able to take into custody a fourth individual,” said Norman. “Earlier this a.m., there had been a break-in possibly involving these individuals inside the city limits of Boiling Springs.”

The female suspect was located at Gardner-Webb University, where she is a student, and arrested a short time later, the release read.

All four of those arrested were charged with conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering, and possession of burglary tools.

The four charged include: Arlando Pierre Griffin, 21, a GWU student and former football player from Snellville, Ga.; Amber Nicole Yow, 20, a GWU student from Concord; Jonathan Mikal Ford, 20, also from Snellville, Ga.; and Rashad Tre Levels, 20, of Logansville, Ga.

All four are being held in the Cleveland County Detention Center under a $500,000 bond.

Norman said additional charges are forthcoming from an additional break-in the four are alleged to have attempted on Barbee Road.

He said the apprehension of the four suspects was a team effort involving the sheriff’s office, the K-9 division, the observant homeowners who gave descriptions of the suspects, Boiling Springs Police and GWU Campus Police.

Update: 1:59 p.m.

Sheriff Alan Norman said police are canvassing the Cabaniss Farm Road area to see if any more homes were broken into by the suspects being questioned.

Norman said one person is in custody and several others are being questioned concerning at least two attempted break-ins in Cleveland County.

Names and charges will be available later today, Norman said.

One of the suspects in custody was bitten by the homeowner’s dog and by a sheriff’s office K-9, Norman said, but that was the only injury that occurred during the break-ins.

11:39 a.m.

One person is in custody and several others are being questioned by police after an attempted break-in of a residence on Cabaniss Farm Road near Highway 226 in Shelby, according to Sheriff Alan Norman.

The homeowner was home at the time, but no one was injured.

Norman said the suspects were not armed and it was a home invasion.

The sheriff's office expects to make more arrests shortly.

More information was not immediately available on the identities of the suspects involved.

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See video by clicking here of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office tracking down and apprehending a break-in suspect who ran on foot and hid in a cave.

Four people were taken into custody by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office and Boiling Springs Police Department Friday in connection with at least three home break-ins in Cleveland County, according to Sheriff Alan Norman.

One suspect ran from a home—the second break-in on Friday—when he realized someone was inside. The homeowner’s dog bit the suspect, who then ran to hide in a small cave or washed-out hole in a creek bank nearby, Norman said.

A sheriff’s office K-9 discovered the suspect and bit him while he was in the hole. With the help of Cleveland County EMS and Cleveland County Emergency Management, the man was extricated from the hole and taken by a stretcher to an ambulance.

Norman said the man’s dog bites were not severe.

The first home break-in was on Cabaniss Farm Road and the homeowner, Kevin Moss, was at home, Norman said.

Moss heard someone ring his carport door bell, looked outside and saw a red car sitting with its hood up on the side of the street and two black men near the car, according to a sheriff’s office press release. He also saw a gold Toyota sitting at the top of his driveway.

“Moss then heard someone start kicking his door. He retreated to get something to protect himself with when the perpetrator started kicking the French doors on the rear of his residence,” the release read.

“He met the two individuals at the door with a firearm,” said Norman.

According to the sheriff’s office’s preliminary investigation, Norman said Moss did not shoot.

Moss saw a black man with dreadlocks wearing a backpack when he opened the door, and the man ran away, according to the release.

Moss was able to give police a description of the two vehicles he’d seen, the tag number of the red car, and a description of the suspects, including a female driving the gold Toyota.

Norman said sheriff’s office deputies detained two people in the red car and took them into custody a few miles from the original break-in.

“During the process of detaining and taking into custody the third suspect, Boiling Springs Police was also able to take into custody a fourth individual,” said Norman. “Earlier this a.m., there had been a break-in possibly involving these individuals inside the city limits of Boiling Springs.”

The female suspect was located at Gardner-Webb University, where she is a student, and arrested a short time later, the release read.

All four of those arrested were charged with conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering, and possession of burglary tools.

The four charged include: Arlando Pierre Griffin, 21, a GWU student and former football player from Snellville, Ga.; Amber Nicole Yow, 20, a GWU student from Concord; Jonathan Mikal Ford, 20, also from Snellville, Ga.; and Rashad Tre Levels, 20, of Logansville, Ga.

All four are being held in the Cleveland County Detention Center under a $500,000 bond.

Norman said additional charges are forthcoming from an additional break-in the four are alleged to have attempted on Barbee Road.

He said the apprehension of the four suspects was a team effort involving the sheriff’s office, the K-9 division, the observant homeowners who gave descriptions of the suspects, Boiling Springs Police and GWU Campus Police.

Update: 1:59 p.m.

Sheriff Alan Norman said police are canvassing the Cabaniss Farm Road area to see if any more homes were broken into by the suspects being questioned.

Norman said one person is in custody and several others are being questioned concerning at least two attempted break-ins in Cleveland County.

Names and charges will be available later today, Norman said.

One of the suspects in custody was bitten by the homeowner’s dog and by a sheriff’s office K-9, Norman said, but that was the only injury that occurred during the break-ins.

11:39 a.m.

One person is in custody and several others are being questioned by police after an attempted break-in of a residence on Cabaniss Farm Road near Highway 226 in Shelby, according to Sheriff Alan Norman.

The homeowner was home at the time, but no one was injured.

Norman said the suspects were not armed and it was a home invasion.

The sheriff's office expects to make more arrests shortly.

More information was not immediately available on the identities of the suspects involved.